EP 64: Bedside Manner

On today's episode, Paul and Kate head to 1975 New Jersey where a hospital sees a string of unlikely deaths in their patients. After some interesting toxicology and an eventful trial, is it enough to hold the suspect accountable?

 Sources:

“Murder Trial of Dr. X: Mario Jascalevich Accused of Murdering His Patients” (UVA Law)

https://archives.law.virginia.edu/dengrove/writeup/murder-trial-dr-x-mario-jascalevich-accused-murdering-his-patients

“Nation: A Jury Sets Dr. X Free” (Time) 1978.

https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,948270,00.html

“Investigators couldn’t pin string of hospital murders on N.J. surgeon” by David J. Kraijicek (Daily News) 2018.

https://www.nydailynews.com/2016/02/27/investigators-couldnt-pin-string-of-hospital-murders-on-nj-surgeon/

“Alleged Curare Victims Were Pale, Not Blue, Ex-Hospital Aides Recall” by David Bird (New York Times) 1978.

https://www.nytimes.com/1978/08/03/archives/alleged-curare-victims-were-pale-not-blue-exhospital-aides-recall.html

“Expert Tells Trial He Found No Curare in One Body” by David Bird (New York Times) 1978.

https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/27/archives/new-jersey-pages-expert-tell-trial-he-found-no-curare-in-one-body.html

“Doctor Acquitted in Murder Case Involving Free Press, Fair Trial” by Lee Lescaze (Washington Post) 1978.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/10/25/doctor-acquitted-in-murder-case-involving-free-press-fair-trial/ff75e185-c3d5-4d2c-bb0b-2d3085fd0c47/

“Dr. Mario E. Jascalevich Dies; Jersey Surgeon in ‘Dr. X’ Case” by Joseph Berger (New York Times) 1985.

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/03/nyregion/dr-mario-e-jascalevich-dies-jersey-surgeon-in-dr-x-case.html

“Dr. X” by M.A. Farber (New York Times) 1976.

https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/20/archives/dr-x.html

“Doctor in Jascalevich Trial Describes the Unexpected Death of Patient” by David Bird (New York Times) 1978.

https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/23/archives/doctor-in-jascalevich-trial-describes-the-unexpected-death-of.html

“Curare” (Dictionary.com)

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/curare

“Curare” by Susan M. Stejskal (Encyclopedia of Toxicology via ScienceDirect)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/curare

“Riverdell Aide Says He Ordered Inquiry in 1966 on Hospital Deaths” by David Bird (New York Times) 1978.

https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/24/archives/new-jersey-pages-riverdell-aide-says-he-ordered-inquiry-in-1966-on.html

“Forensic science and the case of Mario Jascalevich” by Alan dronsfield, Ann Ferguson (Royal Society of Chemistry) 2020.

https://edu.rsc.org/feature/forensic-science-and-the-case-of-dr-mario-jascalevich/2020148.article

“Dr. X is Identified; Jersey Planning to Seek Charges” by M.A. Farber (New York Times) 1976.

https://www.nytimes.com/1976/03/17/archives/dr-x-is-identified-jersey-planing-to-seek-charges-mario-jascalevich.html

“2 of 5 Murder Charges Dismissed by Judge in Jascalevich Case” by David Bird (New York Times) 1978.

https://www.nytimes.com/1978/08/02/archives/2-of-5-murder-charges-dismissed-by-judge-in-the-jascalevich-case-on.html

“Jascalevich’s Lawyer Challenges Expert on ‘Curare’” by David Bird (New York Times) 1978.

https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/11/archives/new-jersey-pages-jascalevichs-lawyer-challenges-expert-on-curare.html

“Acute Hepatic necrosis” (National Library of Medicine)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548773/def-item/glossary.acute-hepatic-necrosis/

“Byrne Returns $101,000 Fine to Times” by Jonathan Friendly (The New York Times) 1982.

https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/20/nyregion/byrne-returns-101000-fine-to-times.html

“Suspicions About Doctor Brought Curare Inquiry” by Fred Ferretti (New York Times) 1976.

https://nytimes.com/1976/05/20/archives/suspicions-about-doctor-brought-curare-inquiry.html

“Radioimmunoassay” (Science Direct)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/radioimmunoassay

“Thin Layer Chromatography” (LibreTexts Chemistry)

https://chem.libretexts.org/Ancillary_Materials/Demos_Techniques_and_Experiments/General_Lab_Techniques/Thin_Layer_Chromatography

“High-performance liquid chromatography” (Wikipedia)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-performance_liquid_chromatography

“UV-Vis Spectroscopy: Principle, Strengths, and Limitations and Applications” by Justin Tom (Technology Networks Analysis & Seperations) 2023.

https://www.technologynetworks.com/analysis/articles/uv-vis-spectroscopy-principle-strengths-and-limitations-and-applications-349865

“Mass Spectrometry” (MSU)

https://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/virttxtjml/spectrpy/massspec/masspec1.htm